First and second days in Kauai

After a relatively uneventful flight (50 minute delay leaving Philadelphia), we arrived in Lihue Airport and found Priscilla and Glen's Jeep Cherokee that they so graciously let us use while we are in Kauai in the airport parking lot. We headed out, it was now about 10PM on our body time, we had arisen at 4 AM, but it was not a long ride out, about 30 miles. We stopped at Safeway on Kapaa for provisions, especially Papayas, Hawaiian papayas are the best, and found Kalahiwai Road, the second one, there are two as it turns out. That took us to Anini Beach Road and the Punana Aloha cottage, our home for the next 7 days.


The next morning we got up early, (but something like noon on the East coast) and explored the gardens around the house. We have banana palms which have an enormous flower as well as bananas, an orange tree which has ripe fruit too high to reach. There is also a Hau tree or Sea Hibiscus, which has yellow hibiscus-like flowers that turn orange and drop off every day.




Bananas on the tree on the left. Above, the banana flower, more than a foot long



There are also various forms of red ginger and other exotic plants. Exotic elsewhere, native to here. Of course there are the ubiquitous chickens, all liberated when Hurricane Iniki clobbered the island in 1992. Thanks to all the roaming roosters, you really don't need an alarm clock.


The lanai looks out on the ocean and its hard to work up the motivation to go anywhere else.






Casting a long shadow in the early morning sun, this slug (right) "dashed" across our lanai at breakfast. Nice shell!










We walked out the front yard and into the water. Walking about a mile along the shore, in and out of the water which is all pretty shallow at low tide. We are the 4th house from the end of the road and after that the shore is just low trees over sand and volcanic rocks. Towards the end of our walk we were below the 150 foot cliffs and the condos at Princeville. There is a golf course up there too and I found a golf ball in the shallows. Wise move to take a drop and a penalty stroke in that case.


We drove into Hanalei, a really pretty little town out of the reach of tour buses. The road crosses a one lane bridge over the Hanalei river so big development is out. It is something of a hippy refuge, very laid back, but well taken care of. It also sits on one of the most picturesque sandy beaches in the world. Hanalei bay is a huge crescent of sand, and is protected from the easterly tradewinds. We had lunch at the Dolphin in Hanalei, went back to Anini beach, snorkeled a little and then back to Hanalei for cappuccinos where we were introduced to Francis, the cat who hangs out in one of the local gift stores and the Bar Acuda restaurant.





We watched the Brazilian cardinals around the outdoor eating area in town. I had to look them up. When you google Brazilian cardinal, it first returns the birds, then some of the hierarchy of the Catholic church in South America.







Later we watched the canoe clubs practice for the Saturday outrigger canoe races, took a swim in the bay and a walk on the beach and watched the sunset over Napali.